Rt. 146 changes planned

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation Highway Division is finalizing plans to change the intersection of Route 146 and Boston Road in Sutton, a move that has developers thinking about beginning work on new shopping plazas in the area.

“This project entails roadway widening and traffic signal replacement at the intersection of Route 146 and Boston Road. As part of the widening, the finished product will include turning lanes on both sides of Boston Road,” said MassDOT spokesman Michael Verseckes.

“The traffic pattern will also change. The existing Route 146 northbound left-turn lane will be eliminated, and a jug-handle configuration will be added to accommodate these turning movements. In addition, under this project the intersection will be resurfaced, the median will be replaced and drainage improvements will be made,” he said.

According to Mr. Verseckes, MassDOT will advertise the project in early March, and it should take approximately 120 days to receive and open bids from contractors. The plan is to have work begin shortly after a contractor is awarded the job.

One project in development is South Town Crossing, formally Cold Spring Brook Place, which would include a supermarket as well as a bank, a restaurant, two new retail spots and a proposed home improvement store. The project is being proposed by Galaxy Development of Auburn. Galaxy’s principal owner, Michael O’Brien, said that Galaxy would not be interested in the project if the changes to Route 146 weren’t happening.

“The primary focus of our interest there was the improvement being intended to be made by MassHighway to Route 146 and the Boston Road intersection. If it wasn’t for that, we would probably not be here today with our plan,” said Mr. O’Brien.

“Infrastructure is the key to any retail shopping center success, and the plan windings, the turn lanes at the single light, and creating a better situation for better traffic flow is very important to any retail shopping center for us,” Mr. O’Brien said.

According to Mr. O’Brien, Galaxy hopes to begin development on South Town Crossing this spring, to coincide with the work on Route 146, so the project can be finished for summer 2014. A supermarket would, according to Mr. O’Brien, fill a void in the community because there is no supermarket in Sutton. He sees Route 146 as a good location for one.

Sutton Plaza sits across Route 146 from the proposed South Town Crossing, and it has a deal in place for expansion with Stop & Shop. The supermarket chain has the rights to build a store on part of the site. According to David Katz of RK Associates, which owns the plaza in partnership with WS Development, Stop & Shop will decide if it wants to build a supermarket and add onto the existing plaza.

“They’ve been a so-called tenant of the center for some time, so they control the land area where a future supermarket can be built, and the decision to invest and move forward really lies with them,” said Mr. Katz.

“The capital for the construction of new supermarkets in general has been a little slow the last few years, so it’s really an internal decision that lies with Stop & Shop more than anything that we’re involved with.”

Stop & Shop spokeswoman Suzi Robinson said the company does not comment on real estate plans.

Sutton Town Administrator Jim Smith says the Sutton Board of Selectmen would welcome new developments on Route 146, including a supermarket, because it would serve the community and bring in new tax revenues.

“I think there is always a need for a supermarket in town, especially on a route like 146. It’s a busy route. It serves many communities, and it’s right off 146. It would be convenient for everybody,” Mr. Smith said.

“That’s the thing I’m most focused on — the amount of new growth that we’ll get from the tax revenue. I don’t know yet what that number would be, but it would be a significant increase to the new growth and the tax rate, and it will probably help ease the burden on residential taxpayers to have additional taxpayers paying taxes.”

A public hearing for the South Town Crossing project is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Jan. 28 at the Sutton Municipal Building.